How to Answer Common Questions to Improve Your SEO Rankings

When people use a search engine like Google or Bing, they are very often looking for an answer to a question they have. Maybe they’re discussing the net worth of Taylor Swift with friends and want to prove they knew the right answer. Perhaps they want to know the prices and reviews of a new restaurant in town. People use search results to answer common questions. Once you identify what common questions exist in your market, you can use this information to improve your website’s SEO.

Determine What Your Product or Service Solves

Your business solves a problem. When users search for an answer to this problem, you want your solution to show up. For instance, a wood flooring company sells and installs floors. Homeowners will look for more information on how to install flooring online to see what the process entails. The prospective customer will look up “how to install wood floors” using a search engine. This is the problem the wood flooring company solves. Ideally, the wood floor company’s website should be optimized so that search engines list it as an answer.

All companies solve at least one problem. In many cases, companies solve many problems. Each of these should be incorporated into your SEO plan. For example, a hair salon offers a wide range of services to different kinds of customers. They create updos for proms and weddings, as well as stylish cuts for men. These customers find the company’s website differently. Each of these should be considered and included in different ways, such as “how to find the perfect prom hairstyle,” “how to pick a stylish haircut for men,” and “how to find wedding hairstyles.”

Create Content Highlighting Answers

After you realize what problem your company solves, you need to create content highlighting these search terms. For the wood flooring company, they should create a blog post or other resource that lets prospective customers know how to install wood floors, making sure to use that verbiage. They should list all the tools homeowners would need to do a professional quality job, knowing most homeowners won’t have the tools, the time, or the desire to complete the project themselves once they understand all that is involved.

It’s important to position your product or service as the answer. The blog post about installing a wood floor should provide high-quality answers and alternatives, such as DIY, hiring a wood flooring company, and perhaps a handyman. Provide prospective customers with the pros and cons of each choice. A handyman might be cheaper, but lacks the expertise needed and doesn’t carry the same kind of liability insurance. The wood flooring company may cost a little more, but the job is done right the first time without any hassle. By creating honest and helpful information, you can increase your search engine traffic, distribute highly shareable content, and grow brand awareness.

Add a FAQs Page to Your Website

If they’re certain questions customers routinely ask, put up a well-rounded website page of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs). This page helps customers outside of SEO by providing them with a centralized location to have their questions answered. It also can help generate search engine traffic if users search for answers to their common questions. Just remember to keep the answers short. Nobody wants to read an entire blog post worth of content when they need a quick answer. Remember that FAQs might use many different keywords on a page, which is ineffective. Use FAQ page in conjunction with other efforts.

When you understand what your target market wants, it is much easier to create SEO strategies that work. By answering relevant questions through your website, you can increase search engine traffic.